Week 19: Contribution of Teacher Inquiry Topics to my Communities of Practice

Descriptive

My two inquiry topics.

The two inquiry topics that I have chosen are ‘Implementing digital technology in the classroom, and ‘Developing a growth Mindset’  (Carol Dweck).

During my reflection on ‘The role of current emerging technologies’ I found myself referencing the SAMR model a lot.   I think that this is an area that I want to inquire into and unpack with the teachers in the Year 7 & 8 team.

Developing a growth Mindset is also of huge interest to me.  The children that I work with really struggle in this area. They are afraid of failure and often disengage from learning when they find it to hard.

My Communities of practice

• School Staff
• Senior Leadership Team
• Year 7 & 8 Team
• Professional Learning Group (aligned to my TAI)
• Uru Manuka
• The Mindlab

Comparative

Implementing digital technology in the classroom

My Community view

To ensure that teachers and students are getting the biggest impact from the affordances of digital technologies they need to understand the SAMR model and ensure that they are creating learning opportunities that are ‘modification and redefinition’ on the SAMR scale.  We don’t want chromebooks being used as a really expensive textbook.

Research

“At this level (Redefinition) we see dramatic improvements in student outcomes.  This is the level at which students who were failing are now successful and the students who were already successful are going places you’ve never seen students go before.” Ruben Puentedura

Growth Mindset

My Community view

That all children in the right environment and support networks has the ability learn.   They need to understand what the learning process is and strategies to use when they are in the learning pit and finding learning difficult.

Research

Empirical studies have revealed that growth mindset has positive effects on student motivation and academic performance (Dweck, C. 2009)(Blackwell, L.S. 2007)

“Recent research has also shown that mindset is related to student outcomes and behaviors including academic achievement, engagement, and willingness to attempt new challenges.”(Vedder-Weiss, 2013) (Yeager, D.S.; Dweck, C.S. 2012)

Critical Reflection

I am pleased that I have chosen two inquiry topics that I can see will have a positive impact on what I am already doing.  This will complement and strengthen my Professional Learning Group and Teacher as Inquiry.

Because I can see real purpose to both of these topics and see how they can connect, this will give me motivation to research and gain a better understanding of both of these areas.  

Week 18: My reflections on the role of current and emerging technologies

Describe - What Happened?

Using the affordances of digital technologies has been a major focus for my teaching practice over the past 4 years and continues to be a focuss. In my new role as assistant principal I have to essentially start from scratch in terms of growing knowledge of effective pedagogy that is supported by the affordances of digital technologies.  The classrooms are all 1:1, all teachers are using sites to deliver the curriculum and to promote visible teaching and learning.

However there is room for improvement and an opportunity to look at the SAMR model in depth would be helpful for the team.

Feelings - What were you thinking about?

We have an outstanding platform to work off.  The children expect a digital curriculum. The teachers are all enthusiastic about working in a digital classroom, and we are resourced to improve and grow teachers understanding of delivering Learn, Create, Share.  So I am happy with where we are and have a clear idea where we need to head.

Evaluation - What was good and bad about the experience?

In most cases the children are engaged and the teachers are enthusiastic. It’s about keeping the momentum going in the right direction.  By looking at the SAMR model and unpacking what that looks like in each teachers context will help them grow professional. It will enable them to reflect on their own practice and question whether or not they are using the affordances of digital technologies effectively

Analysis - What sense can you make of the situation?

Our school hasn’t just gone down the road of; ‘that simply introducing new ICT tools and infrastructure into schools will trigger beneficial and meaningful educational change’.  We have implemented these four strategies to support educational ICT developments: providing enabling tools and infrastructure; providing inspiring ideas and opportunities to connect ideas; enhancing capability; and supporting innovation.

A chromebook isn’t the silver bullet to solve all problems, its the pedagogy that is supported by the technology that has the greatest impact on student achievement.

Conclusion - What else could have you done?

Although I think I have a good idea about how technology is being used in the classroom, I need to dig a little deeper.  By knowing and understanding what each individual teacher is doing in terms of using the affordances of digital technologies to support Learn, Create, Share, I will have a better ability to provide support in key areas and grow leadership within the team to support others.

Action Plan - If it arose again what would you do?

Is there effective use of digital technologies in the Year 7 & 8 team?  Yes absolutely, but it could be better. I am really keen to unpack the SAMR model with the team and get them to reflect on their teaching practice when teaching in a digital curriculum.

Week 17: Activity 1: My Reflective Practice

Descriptive

What is happening?

Over the past few years I have become a reflective practitioner.  The two main reason why I have developed this skill, is because I was involved in two important initiatives at my previous school which would lead to school wide change.  The first initiative was running a collaborative classroom (team teaching) and the other initiative was creating a digital classroom with 1:1 devices. Because I was leading these initiatives it was important to reflect on what was working, what wasn’t working and what we need to do to make it successful.  I found that putting some of these reflections on a blog was very useful.

The majority of my reflection was introspective thinking, but due to the nature of the initiatives there was also Intersubjective reflection, especially when team teaching.  I find that real time reflection when team teaching was very effective, whether that be teacher to teacher or teacher to student. I find collecting student voice as powerful tool and use this in my reflection.

I feel that currently I mainly use reflection-on-action rather reflection–in-action, but I am much more comfortable not at reflection in action.   

Is this working and for whom?

In my previous role this was working well for me, but also for the others involved in the initiatives.  I have found that in my new role I am less reflective and my blog has been dormant for a while now.

If I am wanting to implement change in my current position then it is important that I get back to being a reflective practitioner.

How am I feeling?

I was happy about my reflective practise, but after this task it has made me realise that I may have lost my way in this area.  I need to get back to being more proactive in this area. By recording my ideas it makes me think about what it is I am trying to achieve, what worked, what didn’t and what are my next steps.   

What do I not understand?

When do I have the time?  How can I manage this to make it sustainable?  What comes off the pile for this to go on the pile and stay there?

Comparative

How do other people involved or indirectly involved describe what is happening?

Zeichner and Liston’s Five Levels of Reflection survey tells me that I use the following levels of reflection;

• Rapid reflection
• Repair
• Review
• Retheorizing and reformulating

Brookfield (1995) tells me that I use both the ‘Dance and Stance’ characteristics in critical reflection.

Quinn (1988, 2000) tells me that I use

• retrospection
• self-evaluation

How does research contribute to an understanding of this matter?

I have never done any research about reflective practices before, so what it does do is paints a picture of how I reflect.   I also think that there are so many different theories that one could get consumed by all of the different theories and become confused or overwhelmed.  At the end of the day if you are reflecting it is better that not.

How can I improve what is not working?

I need to find one model that I am comfortable at using and that makes sense to my context.  I need to get back to blogging more and make sure that the right people are seeing my reflections so they are able to contribute to them.

Critical Reflection

What are the implications of the matter when viewed from these alternative perspectives?

The implications from this reflection is that now I am no longer team teaching and in a non contact management role, I have lost the person who I spent a lot of time reflecting with on a day to day bases.  It is important that I connect or reconnect with a professional partner to get back to being a reflective practitioner.

How does this reflective process inform and renew my perspective?

This has been a good wake up call for me and renewed the importance of being a reflective practitioner.  For me in my new role this is really important if I want to be an effective leader of change. By sharing my reflections it gives others the opportunity to give their perspective about any of the issues or problems that I have come across, which could help solve these.  By sharing my reflections it may also help others who are faced with similar challenges.